


Sanctuary:  Giving Thanks, Part 1 of 3

by Ink_Gypsy, Keye



Series: Sanctuary Universe [5]
Category: LOTR RPS (AU)
Genre: M/M, Sanctuary Universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-11-25
Updated: 2010-11-25
Packaged: 2017-10-13 09:01:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/135521
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ink_Gypsy/pseuds/Ink_Gypsy, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Keye/pseuds/Keye
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hannah comes to spend the long Thanksgiving Weekend with Sean and Elijah.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sanctuary:  Giving Thanks, Part 1 of 3

“There, Sean.” Elijah pointed out an empty parking space and gave Sean a look as he slowly drove by it. “What was wrong with that one?”

“Too tight.”

Elijah snickered, but stopped short of commenting.

Sean glanced aside at him and couldn’t help smiling, in spite of the butterflies wrestling in his stomach. With the nerves he was feeling, the drive had been less than enjoyable, and it wasn’t getting easier as the time drew near. He pulled into the next available spot, even though it was at the outer end of a remote lot.

Elijah unbuckled his seatbelt and leaned close, sliding his fingers over Sean’s sweating palm. “You don’t have to be worried, Sean. She’s going to love you. I know.”

Sean appreciated the vote of confidence, but wasn’t so sure himself. The plain fact was, Hannah didn’t trust him. He nodded agreeably for Elijah’s benefit, holding his hand for a moment, then pulled his keys from the ignition and steeled himself to make the best of it.

There was shuttle service from the parking lot, but Sean suggested they walk, hoping the activity would help settle him down. It was a brisk and blustery day, typically late November. Elijah hunkered into his coat and shivered, in spite of the heavy sweater Sean had insisted he wear. Sean slid an arm around his shoulders and drew him close as they walked. The noise of a jet passing close overhead seemed to make the ground shudder.

Sean normally loved airports, loved watching the aircraft come and go. The hustle and bustle though, he could do without, and it was Thanksgiving, a big travel day. The terminal was crowded and clamorous. They checked the board to see if Hannah’s flight had come in yet. It hadn’t, so they went up to the observation deck to wait.

Elijah was clearly excited. He hadn’t seen his sister in months, and Sean knew they were close. If Hannah was hesitant to accept at face value what had happened between them in such a short time, it was understandable. She’d been through a hell of worry herself. Sean hoped very much she would leave after the long weekend feeling much better about it all. Then Elijah would stop worrying about it and they’d be home clear.

The arrival of Hannah’s flight was announced at last. They watched it come in and then left the deck to go and meet her. Sean knew her instantly by the way her face lit up when her eyes met Elijah’s, without doubt soon after when she rushed into his arms and gave him a big hug. She wasn’t quite what Sean had expected, at first glance didn’t seem to look much like her brother at all. She was slight, as he was, pixieish even, and she had blue eyes, though they weren’t as large and captivating as Elijah’s. Of course, that could have been merely bias on Sean’s part he had to admit. He put on a big warm smile for her as Elijah gripped his arm and pulled him nearer.

“Hannah, this is Sean.”

Sean did his best. “I’m so glad to finally meet you, Hannah.” She smiled politely, and accepted Sean’s hand when he offered it, but quickly took hers back and returned her attention to Elijah. It made Sean feel like he’d best step back and not be in the way, which he did. They went down to baggage claim and collected her two soft-sided, pastel blue cases. Sean took up the larger one. Elijah beat him to the other, giving him a sweetly-encouraging look in passing.

Hannah put on her black suede coat and wrapped a purple scarf around her neck, and they headed out to the lot. She looked very stylish, was well if not richly dressed. Her blonde hair was cut short in thin wisps around her elfin face. She didn’t look anything like Elijah, but she did too, sometimes, when they’d look at each other with the same expression. She was sweet, but she was hard too, Sean could tell. She wasn’t going to be a pushover.

It was after one by the time they reached the Jeep. Sean asked if they’d all had lunch. He and Elijah had been munching on this and that all morning. Hannah said she’d had a sandwich on the plane and was fine. Elijah said he would take the back seat so she could have the front, but she said she wouldn’t mind stretching out a little and claimed the back seat for herself. Sean supposed she didn’t care for the idea of sitting beside him for two hours. They packed her bags into the rear and took their places, Sean behind the wheel. He glanced back. “There are drinks in the cooler. Help yourself.” She said thanks, opened it and took out a bottle of water. Elijah passed back a bag of pistachios and the few cookies that were left. And they hit the road.

“We’re having the feast at Aunt Tilda’s, Hannah.” Elijah half-leaned over the back of his seat to talk to her, not the safest way to ride, but Sean said nothing. “Til lives across the lake from us. She’s a photographer, and a really good cook. She’s roasting a goose, and I made your cranberry marshmallow thing. Hope I got it right. We spent all day yesterday getting everything ready.”

Hannah didn’t seem to be saying much. Sean glanced at Elijah and said he’d made the pumpkin pie. That made her laugh. “No you didn’t.”

Elijah grinned. “I did,” with an extra little smile at Sean. “We did, together.”

When Elijah didn’t mention it, Sean thought he should, not wanting to spring it on her at the last moment. “Til has a nice place right on the lake, and she fixed up her guest room for you. We’re thinking you’d probably be more comfortable there.”

“Our place is kind of small,” Elijah added. “There’s only one bed, you know, but you can stay with us if you want to. We don’t mind sleeping on the floor.”

Sean caught her expression in the rearview mirror, and knew just what she was thinking, that he didn’t want her that close.

To Elijah she said, “Whatever you think is best. I wouldn’t want to be in the way.” Elijah made a face at her, and she made one right back at him.

“You wouldn’t be in the way, Hannah.” Sean did his best to catch her eye in the mirror. “You can decide for yourself after you meet Til. I think you’ll like her.”

Hannah glanced him a smile, one that made him cringe a little. She said no more about it. “Hey, Monkey, I brought you something.” She passed a CD case to Elijah. He read the hand-made label with excitement.

“Wow, this is great, thanks!” Elijah put it into the Jeep’s new player, and they all listened to it for the next hour and a half. Elijah and Hannah talked back and forth now and then, but Sean kept himself out of it and at least pretended not to hear.

It was going on four when they reached Groveton at last, well off the main highway. Jenkins had a sign out saying he was open until four-thirty. Sean had told Tilda he’d pick up fresh whipping cream, but he’d forgotten to do it before they left the city, and hadn’t imagined anyone local would stay open on Thanksgiving afternoon. He parked in front of the store. “I’ll just be a minute.” Elijah asked if he needed help. He said, “No no, you keep Hannah company,” and left the heater on for them.

******

As soon as he knew Sean was out of earshot, Elijah said, “Look, Hannah, I know this is a lot to take in all at once, but I know what I’m doing.”

“You think you do,” his sister told him, “but you thought the same thing when you moved in with Pedar. What if this turns out to be another mistake?”

“It won’t,” Elijah insisted, “and even if it does, it’s my mistake to make.”

“Can you blame me for not wanting to see you get hurt?”

Elijah shook his head. “Of course I don’t, and I love you for it, but you can’t decide this is going to go bad just because you’re worried about me. I love Sean, Hannah, and I need you to be all right with that.”

“You’re asking a lot, Monkey.”

“No, I’m not. You’re my sister. Ever since we were kids I’ve been able to tell you anything and know you’d understand. I could always count on you to have my back.”

“I still have your back,” Hannah insisted.

“If that’s true then you’ll stop treating Sean like the enemy. He was already afraid you wouldn’t accept him, then after he overheard us when we were chatting, he was sure of it. I wasn’t going to tell you this, but it was Sean’s idea that you come and spend Thanksgiving with us, and he did that because he knows how much you mean to me. All he wants is for me to be happy.”

“I want you to be happy, too.”

“Then prove it, Hannah. Give Sean a chance.”

“All right,” Hannah gave in, “I’ll keep an open mind, but no promises.”

“I’ll take what I can get,” Elijah told her, but he wasn’t worried. He knew Sean would win Hannah over. As if on cue, Sean appeared alongside the Jeep’s passenger door. Elijah rolled down the window and asked, “Did Jenkins have the whipping cream?”

Sean handed him the container. “Thanksgiving is saved,” he said dramatically. “Tilda is very particular about her pumpkin pie, so now I’ll stay in her good graces." He went around to the driver’s side and got back behind the wheel. “Would you believe Jenkins actually wished us a happy Thanksgiving," he marveled, "even smiled when he said it. I guess the holidays can change the way people see things.”

Elijah was counting on it.

Tilda came out to greet them when they pulled up in front of the house. As soon as they were out of the Jeep, Elijah made the introductions. “Hannah, this is Tilda Keeler. Tilda, this is my sister, Hannah Wood.”

Taking Hannah’s hand, Tilda told her, “I’ve been looking forward to meeting you, Hannah. I’ve grown very fond of your brother. He’s a lovely young man."

Elijah could just imagine Hannah’s reply. _Sure he is. A lovely young man who invited me here then pawned me off on a stranger._ He just hoped she wouldn’t voice those thoughts out loud. What really worried him was that Hannah would believe Sean didn’t want her to stay with them, making his sister even more distrustful of him.

But after a quick glance at her brother, all Hannah said was, "He's okay."

Tilda smiled. “Well _I_ certainly think so. Your room is all ready for you. I hope you’ll be comfortable here during your stay.”

To Elijah’s relief, Hannah remembered her manners. “Thank you for inviting me to stay here, Miss Keeler.”

“It's my pleasure, dear, and please, call me Tilda. I consider Elijah family now, and that makes you family, too.”

“I actually thought I’d be staying with Elijah,” Hannah told her.

Tilda looked at Sean and frowned. “I thought the arrangements were settled. Did I misunderstand?"

“It’s my fault, Til,” Elijah explained. “I didn’t tell Hannah you wanted her to stay with you until she got here.”

Tilda turned to Hannah now. “I’m so sorry, dear,” she apologized. “You must think I’m an interfering busybody. I was only thinking of your comfort, but of course I’ll understand if you’d prefer not to stay with a stranger.”

Before Hannah could respond, Elijah blurted out, “We came here right from the airport so Hannah hasn’t even seen the cabin yet!” Hearing the desperation in his voice, he forced himself to stop talking. Where Hannah was going to sleep wasn’t a big deal, so why was he trying to make it one? Had it been a mistake asking her to come here? All he wanted was to see his sister again, and to have her see how happy he was in his new life. Why did it have to be so hard? “Hannah,” he said more calmly, “since Tilda has your room ready, why don’t you stay here tonight? Tomorrow after you see the cabin, if you want to stay with us, Sean and I will move your stuff back. Would that be all right, Til?”

“Of course, dear,” Tilda agreed. “I want Hannah to enjoy her stay here, so wherever she feels more comfortable is where she should stay. I won’t be offended if she’d rather stay with you, although it would be nice to have another woman around, even if only for a little while.”

“Staying here tonight will be fine,” Hannah relented. “Thank you, Miss Keeler. Now what can I do to help with dinner? I’m very handy in the kitchen...unlike my brother.”

“Hey!” Elijah protested.

“Elijah’s come a long way,” Sean came to his defense. “He’s turned into a very capable sous chief.”

“Thank you for offering, Hannah,” Tilda told her, “but there’s really not much left to do. Why don’t I show you to your room? I’m sure you’d like to freshen up after your trip. Sean and Elijah can keep an eye on things while we’re gone.”

“I wouldn’t mind,” Hannah admitted.

“Then it’s settled. Your room is upstairs, dear. Just follow me.”

******

Elijah was clearly uneasy. He watched them climb the stair until they were out of sight, and then just stood there looking like he might follow, until Sean put an arm around his shoulders, urging him toward the delectable aromas drifting from the kitchen. “They’ll be fine.”

“I wish Hannah didn’t have to be like this,” Elijah sighed.

Sean wished so too, of course, but the weekend was young. There was plenty of time to woo her, so to speak. He buried a tender kiss in Elijah’s hair. It was Thanksgiving, a day for being hopeful. Sean had grown up with big family Thanksgivings where the spirit of the holiday was alive and glowing. It was a day for counting one’s blessings. And Sean had a great many to count this year.

It looked like Tilda had everything under control in the kitchen. The goose was out of the oven, golden brown and smelling of roasted apples with a hint of cranberry brandy. Elijah breathed in the aroma with an appreciative smile, perking up. There was apple-stuffed acorn squash in the oven, a basket of homemade breadsticks warming by the fire, and a big pot of potatoes boiling on the stovetop. Sean poked the potatoes with a fork, but they had a while more to cook, so he and Elijah settled at the table to peel the mound of pearl onions that were waiting to be done.

******

Tilda studied Hannah once they were alone. She could see the family resemblance in the eyes and the mouth. But it wasn't just the physical traits that bound Hannah and Elijah together. Both of them were hapless at hiding their feelings. It was obvious that Hannah didn't trust Sean, didn't believe he really cared for Elijah, and Tilda had no doubt she’d seize any opportunity to prove it.

"It's a lovely room," Hannah said, looking around. "I understand Sean's cabin is more..."

"Rustic?" Tilda supplied.

"That's the impression I got from Elijah."

Tilda smiled. "Sean prefers to think of it as cozy. It's much smaller than this place, but it has all the amenities: electricity, in-door plumbing." The look on Hannah's face told Tilda those were two of the things she'd been concerned about. "They originally spent only their summers at the cabin. Sean didn't begin living there full-time until after Daniel's death."

"His lover," Hannah surmised.

"I believe they preferred the term _partner_ , but it was more of a marriage. They were together for ten years."

"That's a long time," Hannah admitted.

Tilda nodded. "It is, and I'm sure they'd be together still if Daniel hadn't become ill."

"Your Sean’s aunt, right?" Hannah asked.

"No, dear. I’m Daniel's aunt, but soon after I met Sean, I began to think of them both as my nephews. I will always consider Sean a part of my family."

Tilda could tell Hannah had been holding back, but their talk of family must have given her the impetus to speak her mind because she said, "If you feel that way about Sean, then how can you be okay with this?"

"With what?" Tilda questioned. "Two special people finding happiness together?"

Hannah shook her head. "Look, I appreciate everything Sean did for my brother, taking care of him when he was sick, but do you honestly believe he could be in love with Elijah after such a short time?"

"I do," Tilda said with resolve. "Love follows its own timetable, but I'm sorry you think so little of Sean that you’d believe he’d try to make Elijah believe something that wasn’t true."

"It's not just Sean I’m worried about," Hannah explained. "I have the same doubts about the feelings Elijah says he has for Sean."

"Then you must think as little of Elijah as you do of Sean."

There was anger in Hannah’s voice when she spoke. "That's not true. I love my brother and I only want the best for him."

"Then you need to let him be happy."

Her frustration written clearly on her face, Hannah said, "I'm sorry if I'm being rude, Miss Keeler, but there are issues you're not aware of. Before Elijah came here he’d been through a really rough time, and he hasn't totally recovered from what he went through. I can't go into what happened to him, but trust me, it's something you couldn't possibly understand."

“You’re talking about the abuse he suffered at the hands of his lover.”

Hannah looked outraged. “Sean had no right to tell you about that!”

“Hannah, dear, Sean would never betray a confidence. Elijah told me what he went through with the man he lived with.”

“Elijah told you,” Hannah muttered. She didn’t look convinced. As if she needed time to take in Tilda’s words, she went to the bed and sat down. “Why would he tell you something so private? He hardly knows you.”

Tilda went over to the bed and sat down beside Hannah. “I told you I was fond of your brother,” she said kindly, “but it’s more than that. We’ve become good friends.” She patted Hannah’s hand. “Elijah may not be my blood, but I want him to be happy, and nothing would please me more than for him to find that happiness with Sean.”

Hannah sighed. “I know you think I’m being unreasonable, but Elijah went through so much with Pedar, and this thing with Sean happened so fast. I just don’t want to see him get hurt again.”

Tilda put her arm around Hannah’s shoulders. “I know you love your brother, Hannah, but you have to trust what he feels for Sean. Your opinion matters to Elijah, and if you refuse to accept Sean, you’ll be hurting him just as much as Pedar did. Can’t you love him enough to try?”

******

“What’s taking them so long?” Elijah seemed on the verge of jumping up to go and see when their footsteps were heard on the stair. He put down the paring knife he was using and got up to go and wash his hands, smearing onion tears from his face with his sweater sleeves. Sean dropped a last onion into the bowl, and was joining Elijah at the sink when they came in.

Hannah looked a bit more subdued than she had. Tilda brought the basket of breadsticks to the table with a big smile. “Thank you, boys. I hate peeling onions.”

Sean laughed. “I figured that was why they were waiting for us.” He finished drying his hands and used the towel to dab at a lingering tear on Elijah’s cheek. He turned back to find Hannah staring at them, her expression somber. He tried giving her a smile, but she looked away.

“Sean, would you hand me those wine glasses, please,” Tilda purred. “I think it’s time to get this party under way.” She had a bottle open and breathing. Sean brought the glasses to the table and she poured, with a soft smile at Hannah. “Would you like a glass, dear?”

Hannah gave her a small smile in return as she took it. “Thank you.”

Elijah pulled a couple of breadsticks from the basket and gave one to Hannah. “You have to try these, they’re so good. I helped Til make them and they were a lot of work.”

Thinking he sounded a little nervous, Sean gave him a reassuring touch on the shoulder, raising his glass. “To good friends and happy times.”

They were soon busily at work getting dinner to the table. Tilda set Elijah to dressing the pear and walnut salad while she and Hannah browned the onions in butter and then glazed them with cider. Sean mashed the potatoes with sour cream and a drizzle of goose fat from the roaster, at Tilda’s insistence.

“It’s all terribly unhealthy, I’m afraid, but this is a very special occasion.”

The goose went to the table first, where Tilda carved it while they brought everything else. Elijah set Hannah’s cranberry marshmallow thing, as he called it, in its place close to her chair. Sean refilled their wine glasses and they settled for the feast. “It’s an old tradition in my family to go around the table and tell the one thing we’re most thankful for, so I’ll start.” He turned a loving smile on Elijah at his side. “I’m thankful for you, Elijah. That was too easy.”

Elijah giggled. “I’m thankful for you, Sean.”

Hannah hesitated, pursing her lips, but finally looked into Elijah’s eyes across the candlelit table and said, “I’m thankful to see my brother smile.”

Tilda beamed at them all, and raised her glass. “I am most thankful simply to have my dearest ones near, safe and well. May we all have a lovely weekend.”


End file.
